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Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. – John 11:5-6 (NKJV)

As the narration shifts to the sufferings that the family of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, and the ordeal they had to suffer, the Bible tells that Jesus loved them. Yes, dear friend, all these pain, sufferings and afflictions that you are undergoing, is not because the Lord has ceased loving you, but because Jesus loves you.

At the very heart of all Lord’s dealing with you, is His loving heart; the very foundation of our Lord leading you through this valley of death is His loving hand. Eternal God is your Refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms. (Deuteronomy 33:27)

The situations may be as dark as they can be; the reasons for the delay in the Lord’s deliverance may be mysterious to you; but dare to believe in the unmerited, infinite, immutable love that God has for you, that He showered on you on the Cross when His only Son was crucified for your sake.

Human love tries its best to avoid pain, especially to those who we love the most. That’s why the sisters informed Jesus that “he, whom You love, is sick” (John 11:3). From their understanding of how love works, they were very sure that Jesus would do everything to heal Lazarus and prevent them from any pain. Yet the Bible tells us, “Jesus loved Martha, her sister and Lazarus. So… He stayed two more days.”

So… how much import is there in this one little word. So… Jesus delayed not because He did not love them, but because He loved them. So, He delayed. It is His divine love that kept Him from sending His Word and heal Lazarus at once. It is His immutable love for them that kept Him from rushing to their home, take hold of Lazarus and healing him. Dear friend, as the Lord delays His deliverance, when everyone is telling you that the Lord has forsaken you, that He does not love you anymore… remember this. “Jesus loves you. So, He delays.”

Why does He delay? Because He knows that this situation will not lead to your death; this will not be the end of your life; but this path is allowed in your life for the glory of God; that the Son of God will be glorified through you (John 11:4). You will become a living testimony to the love of God. Many will see what great things that the Lord has done for you, and they will accept Him as their Savior – because of you. Yes, the Lord loves you. So….

As my heart beat went racing on July 8th, I was taken to a doctor in my hometown. He is a physician I respect a lot. But on that day, he did not recognize me as I was overweight by 55 kgs. And with all the perspiration and all that, he looked at me with disgust and was not even ready to take a look at my condition. He asked me to get out of his office as he does not deal with “patients who are about to die.” But then my breathing became too erratic and I was unable to move. So he gave me two injections to reduce my pain and sent me off.

But then he called my father-in-law, a 78 year old God-fearing servant of God, and told him not to waste time and money by taking me to any place for treatment as there was neither time nor hope left for me to survive. He told another believer who accompanied me to make arrangements for my funeral as I might be alive for only another two hours because of the injections he had given, but after that, it is surely a gone case.

Two hours later, I was admitted to the Emergency Ward and the physician there had given my wife only a mere 10% of my survival. Even that was against all hopes. So he had cautioned her not to expect any good news.

One hour later, the same physician looked at me and with a bewildered look, asked me: “You scared all of us and we are still scratching our heads here, wondering what has happened to you. But here you are, sitting in the emergency ward, with such a huge smile in your face. Okay, that is a good sign. So keep smiling.”

Why was I smiling after being so close to death? Why did not my wife and her father panic when given such bad news? Because when I started becoming sick, we prayed and the LORD promised us John 11:4. “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

I respect doctors and physicians. But they have only so much power and authority. But my life is hidden in Christ Who has all the power and authority. And finally as Ron Kenoly asked, whose report will I believe… yes, I shall believe the report of the LORD.